Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

"Aliens!  There go the aliens!"
 
Ginny and her friend Alicia cringed as the taunting cries followed them.  They had once again refused to join the activities of a certain group of classmates.  They had so often separated themselves from the bad behavior of other kids their age that they had been dubbed "aliens" by some of them.  Ginny sighed.  "My mother keeps reminding me not to give in to the temptation to be like those kids," she remarked, "but I don't think she knows what it's like for us in school these days."
 
"Yeah," agreed Alicia.  "My mom keeps saying I should 'just say no' to drugs, but nobody has asked me to say 'yes,' yet.  I don't think it would be so hard to say 'no' anyway -- I don't want any part of drugs.  But sometimes I feel like giving in to some of the other stuff -- like looking at the magazines the kids are passing around.  Then maybe they wouldn't call us names all the time."
 
At home that evening, Ginny told her mother about what happened. "Ever since those kids went to see the movie, 'Aliens from Outer Space,' they call Alicia and me aliens because we don't do the things they do," she complained.  "I wish that dumb movie had never been made."
 
Mother nodded.  "I can understand how you feel," she said.  "But I guess it's not so strange they call you that.  You really are aliens, you know."
 
"Mom," said Ginny, "we are not!"
 
Mother smiled.  "Yes," she insisted, "in a way you are.  You girls have both accepted Jesus as Savior, so now your citizenship is really in heaven.  You're different, because you live for Christ.  You're not of this world, which lives for the devil.  You're just passing through it."
 
"Wow!  I'll have to tell that to Alicia," said Ginny with a sigh.
 
Mother nodded.  "Let the name-calling remind you that you have a home in heaven," she suggested.  "Perhaps that will make it easier to bear."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do other boys and girls pressure you to join them in some ungodly ways?  Do they tease you when you refuse?  Perhaps you don't find it hard to say no to such things as smoking, drinking, or doing drugs, but you're tempted to laugh at dirty jokes, show disrespect to a teacher, or do some other thing you know is wrong.  Don't do it.  If you belong to Jesus, you don't really belong to this world.  Live to please Him, even when you're not accepted by others.  Act the way a citizen of heaven should act.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 3:20)
For our conversation is in heaven.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, I don't like Renee," Teena announced one day.  "Her hair is gross, and she's so fat."
 
Mother frowned.  "Sit down, Teena," she said after a moment.  "I want you to try some bananas."
 
"Bananas?" asked Teena.  "How come?"
 
"I went shopping today with Maria Sutton, our church missionary to Panama," replied Mother.  "She told me about four kinds of bananas they have in Panama -- red crinkly ones, small yellow ones with big brown blotches, tiny green ones, and yellow ones like we buy at the grocery store.  Then she took me to a health store where we could buy all four kinds, so I got some this afternoon."
 
"Are they good?" asked Teena, becoming interested.
 
Mother went to the kitchen and returned with four bananas, a knife, and a plate.  "Let's try the pretty red one first," suggested Teena.  Mother agreed, so Teena peeled it and popped a good-sized piece into her mouth.  "Yuk!  That's bad enough to choke a cow!" she sputtered.
 
Mother laughed.  "Here," she said.  "Try the brown, blotchy one."
 
But Teena shook her head.  "No, it looks awful," she said.  She picked up the small green one and Mother cut off a piece for her. "Nothing special," she decided, "but at least it's not as bad as the red one."
 
"How about the brown one?" urged her mother again.
 
Teena hesitated.  "Well, all right," she agreed, "but it looks so horrible."  Wrinkling up her nose, she gingerly peeled the banana.  She tasted a tiny piece.  "Ummm, good!" she exclaimed.  With Mother's permission, she finished the whole thing.  "Let's get more of those," she said.  "They look so bad, but they taste so good!"
 
Mother nodded.  "The outside isn't so important, is it?" she said.  "It's the inside that counts.  That's a principle we find in God's Word, and I hope you'll remember it when you look at Renee.  You know very well that she's a sweet girl.  Remember how valuable her friendship is and what a really beautiful person she is."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you judge others by the way they look?  Think hard now!  Is there someone you've judged that way?  God says beauty is vain.  It's unimportant.  Follow the advice found in today's Scripture and achieve inner beauty.  Ask God to help you recognize the value of everyone and to accept each one as he or she is.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 7:24)
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Hey!" said Penny.  "What's going on here?"  She had turned the kitchen faucet as far open as she could, but all she got was a sputtering sound.  She thumped her glass on the counter with disgust.  "I'm so thirsty I could croak!"
 
"Sorry," replied Mother.  "When I got home from town, I found a notice on the door saying the City Water Department would be working on our street today.  If I had known it earlier, I would have filled some containers.  But you won't die of thirst.  There's some orange juice in the fridge."
 
Soon Penny's thirst was satisfied, but her brother, Mike, was not so fortunate.  When he came in and reached for the juice jar, it was empty.  "Do we have some milk?" he asked hopefully.
 
"Sorry.  I emptied the carton this morning," said Mother.
 
Mike swallowed hard, groaned, and staggered to a chair.  "Water!  Water!" he cried weakly.
 
Penny laughed.  "Cut the dramatics," she said as she went to answer a tap at the door.
 
It was Molly, their next-door neighbor.  She walked in with a gallon jug of water.  "I thought you might be needing this," she said, pouring some into a glass.
 
Mike quickly reached out and eagerly drank the whole glassful of water.  Then with an ecstatic sigh, he said, "Oh, thank you, Molly.  You saved my life!"
 
"Oh, brother!" groaned Penny, giving Mike a playful shove.  "Here we go with the dramatics again!"
 
"Well, a person dying of thirst can be saved by getting a drink of water," said Mike.  He looked thoughtful.  "Is that why Jesus is called the Living Water?" he asked.  "Because He can save people who are dying?"
 
Mom nodded.  "Good thinking," she said.  "People have a spiritual thirst that's even more terrible than the thirst for water.  They have a thirst for love, for forgiveness -- for God.  Just like a drink of water can save us from physical death, Jesus, the Living Water, can save us from spiritual death.  But what would have happened if Molly had offered you water and you didn't reach out for it, Mike?"
 
"I'd still be thirsty," declared Mike.  "But a bright boy like me would never be that foolish."
 
Mother smiled.  "Well, it's even more foolish when people don't reach out and take the Living Water that Jesus offers," she said.  "It's free and good, and it will give everlasting life -- but only to those who drink it!"



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel unsatisfied even though you have many good things in your life?  Then you have a thirsty soul.  Jesus can satisfy that thirst.  Will you trust Him and in faith accept Him as Savior? He wants to save you from eternal death and give you the gift of eternal life.   (See last page.)


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 4:14)
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.

[Soldier4Christ]

Shannon stood still as her mother pinned up the hem of her colonial costume.  She was going to wear the brown dress in a "Faith of our Fathers" program at church.  "Mom, do you remember Cathy Paige?" Shannon asked.  "She's dropped out of Sunday school.  She says she's got better things to do than hang around church."
 
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," replied Mother.  She eyed the hem line. "Okay.  Your dress is ready for hemming."
 
"I saw Mrs. Paige today," said Shannon, slipping her costume off.  "We talked a while; she's real nice."  She handed the dress to her mother and picked up a book.  "Mom," she added hesitantly, "I'm sure Cathy's using drugs.  In fact, I know she is.  She as good as admitted it when I asked her about it the other day.  But I don't believe Mrs. Paige suspects a thing."
 
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Mother.  "Don't you think we should tell her?"
 
"No way," said Shannon.  "I'd get a reputation for snitching."
 
"Hmmm," murmured Mother as she began hemming the costume. Then she asked, "What part do you play in the program tomorrow night?"
 
"Paul Revere's wife -- you know that," replied Shannon.  She grinned.  "My husband," she said, "is noted for having warned his fellow Americans that the British were coming.  Thanks to him, they were prepared for the battle."
 
"Well, Mrs. Revere," said Mother, "you can get out the iron and get ready to press this dress."  She smiled.  "And tell me, wasn't your husband a snitch when he carried his message?"
 
"Some people said so," replied Shannon.  "But his country was in danger, and he was being patriotic."
 
"So sometimes people should tell, right?" asked Mother.
 
Shannon was startled.  "I. . .well. . .sometimes, I guess.  But what in the world do I say to Mrs. Paige, Mom?"
 
"I'm not sure," said Mother.  "Let's pray about this and then let's get some advice from our pastor or from the Christian counseling service downtown.  I'm not sure just how to handle it, but I do know that we must do something to help Cathy."
 
Shannon nodded.  "Even if she does think I'm a snitch." 



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you have a friend or relative who uses drugs?  Is anybody doing anything about it?  Do you know a caring adult who'd try to help if he knew?  Ask God if it's time for you to speak up.  Maybe, like Esther, you've been placed in your position in order to help someone.  When such a serious problem is involved, telling is helping, not snitching.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Esther 4:14)
Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

[Soldier4Christ]

The big garbage truck Brent and his mother were following slowed down as it approached the stop light. Brent strained forward against his seat belt so he could read the bumper sticker on the back of the truck.  "This truck has bad breath," he read.  Brent laughed.  "Cute!"
 
The light changed, and the truck stopped at a house.  They passed the truck just as it opened its huge jaws and a man dumped bags of garbage into its big mouth.  "No wonder that truck has bad breath," observed Brent.  "It swallows gross garbage."
 
Mother nodded.  "Yes," she agreed, "and I'm reminded of a conversation we had just last night."  She glanced sideways at Brent.
 
"That wasn't a conversation, Mom," said Brent.  "That was a lecture.  You said I would become a garbage collector if I filled my mind with junky stuff like that movie all the kids are going to see."
 
Mother smiled.  "Well, those weren't my exact words, but I see that you do understand," she said.  "Actually, there's nothing wrong with being a garbage collector.  That man is getting rid of garbage for us, and I'm thankful for him.  But I was saying that you would really be more like a garbage container -- like that truck that's swallowing the garbage."
 
"And then I guess my life would have bad breath," said Brent.  He wrinkled his nose.  "Well," he said, "I don't want that to happen.  I told the guys today that I wouldn't be going to see that movie."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do friends encourage you to watch bad movies or TV shows or to read dirty books?  The temptation to follow the crowd may be strong, but God wants you to keep your mind and body pure.  Remember the wise words found in Proverbs 4:14-15:  "Go not in the way of evil men.  Avoid it. . .turn from it."  Fill your mind with worthwhile thoughts that will be pleasing to your heavenly Father.  Memorize the passage below, and use it whenever you are faced with temptation.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Philippians 4:
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

[Soldier4Christ]

As Kip and his sister Margie drove home after a shopping trip with Mother, they saw a couple of kids walking along, holding hands.  "There go Mr. and Mrs. Glue," said Kip.  "They're so sticky."
 
"Mr. and Mrs. Glue?" asked Mother.
 
Margie nodded.  "That's what the kids call them because they're so stuck on each other," she said.  "Yvonne thinks everything Clay says is so-o-o cute.  And she's always running her fingers through his hair."
 
"Yuck!" responded Kip.  Just then he spotted someone else.  "Oh, and there goes Mr. Know-It-All," he added.
 
Margie looked.  "That's Bud," she said. "He's okay.  You just don't like him because he's smarter than you."
 
"Nobody likes him," retorted Kip.
 
"Brenda does, and that makes you mad, because you like Brenda," taunted Margie.  "I don't see why you like her.  She's a snob."  Kip pulled a face at his sister as Mother pulled into their driveway.
 
In the kitchen, Margie pulled a big bottle of glue from a bag.  "I really need this for my science project," she said.  "Snobby Brenda used up half of my last bottle."
 
"She's not a snob," said Kip.  "She's pretty, and you're just jealous."
 
Mother sighed.  "I have no doubt that the couple we saw earlier is too 'sticky,' as you put it," she said, "but I get the feeling that the two of you are not sticky enough."
 
"What do you mean?" asked Margie.  "You don't want me running around holding hands with some guy, do you?"
 
Mother smiled.  "No, I don't," she agreed, "but I still think you need a little more 'glue' in your lives."  Margie looked a the bottle she held in her hand.  "Not that kind," continued Mother.  "But tell me -- what does glue do?"
 
"It holds things together," replied Kip.
 
Mother nodded.  "And the best glue -- the best thing for holding people together -- is love.  God says we're to love each other.  Were you two displaying God's love when you talked about your classmates?  Were you showing love by fighting with each other?  Think about it!"



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there plenty of "glue" -- plenty of love -- shown in your life?  Are your words and thoughts loving and kind?  Obey God's command.  Display His love in your life.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (John 13:34)
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.

[Soldier4Christ]

"How was school?" Mother asked as Christy came into the kitchen.
 
"Okay, I guess," muttered Christy.
 
"What's the matter?" Mother asked, looking up at Christy.  "Your sad face tells me something is not right."
 
Christy's words came in a rush.  "I can't stand Abbie any more, Mom. She's always bragging about how much money she has, her gold jewelry, and all the places she gets to go.  Sometimes she even goes to get her hair and nails done.  I'm so tired of hearing about it."
 
Mother looked thoughtful.  "You're not jealous, are you, honey?" she asked.  Christy blushed a little.  "Christy," said Mother, "I'm going to give you two gifts.  Here's the first one."  Reaching out, she pulled Christy to her and gave her a big hug.  "I love you, love you, love you," Mother told her, using a favorite family phrase.  Then Mother went and got her purse. She handed Christy some money.  "Here's your second gift."
 
"Oh, goody!" squealed Christy.  "May I run to the corner store and get an ice cream bar?"  Mother nodded, and Christy hurried out.
 
When Mother tucked Christy into bed that night, she asked, "What do you have left of the two gifts I gave you?"
 
"Well, the ice cream is long gone -- unless it made me a little fatter," said Christy with a laugh.  She hugged her mother.  "But I still have your love, and you're not getting it back.  I'll give you some of mine, though."
 
Mother smiled.  "Good -- I'll take it," she said.  "Christy, I wanted you to see that you have treasure far more valuable than the things your friend Abbie tells you about.  All her 'things' are like the money.  They don't last.  Love does.  And in addition to the love of your family, you know God's love.  Because you trust in Jesus, you have eternal life which lasts forever, so you're really a very 'rich' young lady."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you place more value on clothes, games, and activities than you do on good relationships?  Don't get your values mixed up.  Earthly treasures are not nearly as important as the love of family and friends -- and especially the love of God.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 12:15)
Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

[Soldier4Christ]

Karen burst through the front door.  "Mom," she called, "guess what we talked about in school today?"  Without waiting for an answer, she continued.  "The underground railroad!  They helped slaves escape.  I wish I could have lived then and helped the slaves."
 
"Are you sure you'd have wanted to be part of that group?" asked Mother.  "Being a part of the underground railroad was very dangerous. Some people were put in jail or even killed for what they did."
 
Karen thought about that for a minute.  "I still would have done it, because no one should have to be a slave," she declared firmly.  "I wish we could go back in time so I could help."
 
Mother turned to her work.  "You don't have to go back in time to help free slaves," she said with a smile.
 
Karen's forehead crinkled.  "What do you mean?"
 
"What is a person before he accepts Christ as Savior?" asked Mother.
 
"A sinner," Karen replied promptly.
 
"Exactly," said Mother, "and Satan is a cruel master who enslaves people in sin.  Only Jesus can set them free.  Workers are needed to help them, but I'm glad it isn't necessary to work undercover.  We can help people escape by telling them about Jesus and what He has done."
 
"Like how He died on the cross and rose again?" asked Karen.  She hesitated.  "I guess the kids might make fun of me if I did that."
 
"Yes, they might," agreed Mother, "and they might try to stop you. But you must keep at it if you want to help the slaves of sin escape to freedom in Christ.  You are an important part of God's 'railroad' -- His system for moving slaves of sin into the freedom He offers."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you trying to help point the slaves of sin to freedom in Christ?  Or are you afraid someone will make fun of you?  Be a part of God's "railroad" -- help "free the slaves."  Tell someone about Jesus today.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Acts 4:29)
Grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word. Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

[Soldier4Christ]

"I guess Jana's okay, but. . .	well,  having a new kid join your class in the middle of the year just spoils everything," complained Kara as she and her mother drove away from the school.  "I mean. . .we're in the middle of our science projects, and we have our parents' night skit almost all practiced.  We have nice, even teams in gym, too.  And now somebody new comes along, and we have to make room for her."
 
"Surely adding one to your group can't be that bad," replied Mother as she slowed the car to turn onto the ramp leading to the highway.
 
Kara shrugged.  "Well, it's not fun," she insisted.  She braced herself as Mother slowed almost to a stop.  "It's nothing personal.  It's just that we're already set with our groups."  She frowned as the cars on the highway roared by in the lane Mother needed to use.  "Hey!" exclaimed Kara as Mother came to a complete stop.  "What's with all those drivers on the highway?  They're not moving over to let us in.  We shouldn't have to stop.  Don't they know they're supposed to let us merge in?"
 
"They should know," said Mother.  "There's a sign on the highway back there to tell them, but I guess they're busy doing their own thing and don't want to bother with anyone new in their lane.  I imagine you can understand that.  I'm sure it's nothing personal."  Kara blushed as she glanced at her mother.
 
Finally, they were able to move out onto the highway.  "It doesn't feel very good when no one wants to make room for you, does it?" asked Mother.
 
Kara didn't answer immediately.  "I guess we need some 'merging traffic' signs in our class," she said at last.  "I guess I better be the one to let Jana in."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there a new person in your school or neighborhood?  Has anyone "let him in"?  Is there someone who doesn't seem to have any friends?  Perhaps God wants you to be the one to make room for the newcomer or the lonely person.  Think about how you would feel in his place.  How would you like to be treated?  God says you should treat him the way you want to be treated.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Luke 6:31)
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

[Soldier4Christ]

"We will pop the corn tonight," sang Gail merrily as the corn popped on the stove.  "Pop!  Pop!  Pop!"  She was at a Sunday school class party. Her sister, Nan, joined in and they finished the song together.  "See the kernels big and bright.  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  They are dancing all about. 'Tis great fun without a doubt.  They are asking to come out.  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!"  Gail and Nan laughed at the face one of the girls made.  "Our great-grandmother taught us that song when we were little kids," explained Gail.  She stuffed some popcorn into her mouth.  "Ummm!  Good!"  But a moment later, she removed a hard kernel.  "Oops!" she added.  "This one didn't pop.  It's no good."
 
Shortly before the party ended, the teacher called the girls together for devotions.  She held two kernels of popcorn in her hand, one small and hard and dry and the other puffed and snowy white.  "I was just wondering," said Miss Martin, "how many popped kernels we have in this class and how many hard kernels are left."  She smiled at the puzzled expression she saw on each face.  "You see," she continued, "we're something like this popcorn.  When we put it on the stove and heated it, moisture inside the kernels turned to steam and caused many of them to explode.  They changed a lot, didn't they?"
 
The girls nodded.  "But how is that like us?" they wanted to know.
 
"Well, when people hear the Gospel and respond to it by accepting Jesus as Savior, a great change takes place within them," explained Miss Martin.  "God says they become 'new creatures' in Him.  There's a change in attitude and in desires -- and even in actions."  She looked around the group.  "Have you experienced a change, like this fluffy, white kernel?" she asked.  "Search your heart, and see if you're different from what you would be if you didn't know Jesus.  If you're still unchanged, like this hard kernel, won't you accept Jesus tonight?"



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Has your life been changed by God?  If you were saved as a young child, you may not have experienced as many obvious changes as some older people do.  But there should be a desire in your life that would not be found in the life of an unsaved person -- the desire to do God's will and please Him instead of pleasing yourself.  If you haven't been changed, you need to be.  Trust Jesus as your Savior.  (See last page.)

[Soldier4Christ]

Randy looked sad as he sat with his dog, Pal, in the waiting room in veterinarian's office.  "Missing Mom a lot today?" asked Dad.
 
Randy shrugged.  "I miss her all the time," he said.
 
Dad nodded and gave Randy's shoulder a squeeze.  "I know," he agreed.  "I do, too."
 
"I just don't understand why Mom had to have cancer in the first place," said Randy angrily.  "Everybody says God works everything out for our good, but I'd sure like to hear His explanation of why Mom had to die!"
 
"Maybe God can't explain it to us," Dad replied sadly.  "Maybe we just need to trust Him without knowing the reason why."  Just then the vet was ready to see Pal, so Randy and Dad led their happy, jumping puppy to another room. 
 
"Pal, we're going to get you vaccinated so you won't get rabies or any of that kind of stuff," Randy told his dog, scratching him behind the ears.  "It won't hurt too much!"
 
When the vet came in and stuck the needle into Pal's leg, however, the puppy barked and yelped and jumped right off the table!  Dad, the vet, and Randy all had to work together to lift the scared dog back up for his next shot.
 
"Pal," grunted Randy, holding his dog down, "we're not trying to hurt you.  It's because we love you.  You don't want to get sick, do you?  Are you mad at me, Pal?"  Pal stared at Randy with scared, sad, brown dog-eyes.  Randy patted his dog.  "I can't make you understand, but you've just got to trust us," he said.  As he spoke, a thought flashed through his mind, and he gave Dad a little, lop-sided smile.
 
When they were on their way home, Randy turned to Dad.  "I've been acting like Pal, haven't I?" he said.  "God knows the reason for Mom's cancer, but He knows we wouldn't understand even if He explained it to us."
 
Dad nodded.  "Let's try to remember that He loves us -- even more than you love Pal," he said.  Randy smiled as he scratched Pal's ears.



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you wondered why God let a hurtful thing happen to you?  Do you get  angry or try to figure out the reason?  God wants you to remember that He loves you.  Trust Him even when you don't understand.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Isaiah 55:9)
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

[Soldier4Christ]

"We'll all be late for church if Bette doesn't hurry up," complained Peter.  "She takes forever to fix her hair!"
 
When they were finally on their way, Bette scowled at Peter.  "Make Peter close his window," she cried.  "The wind makes my hair a mess."
 
"Don't you ever think of anything besides your precious hair?" grumbled Peter as he closed the window.
 
Before going into the church service, Bette went to comb her hair again.  Peter, Mother, and Dad sat down before she came back.  Mother and Dad frowned as she tiptoed into the pew during the first hymn.
 
After church that night, Peter got out a magnifying glass.  "It's fun to look at stuff under this," he said.  "It really makes 'em look big."
 
"Oh, let me see, too," said Bette, and he shared the magnifying glass with her.  Observing them, Dad wrote something on two small pieces of paper and  gave them to Peter, who put the magnifying glass over the first one.  Peter looked at it and shrugged.  Then Bette looked.  "Why did you write 'GOD' on the paper for us to see?" she asked her father.
 
"Because God should be magnified," explained Dad.  "Whoa, there," he added as Peter picked up the second piece of paper.  "Don't put that one under your glass, Peter.  It's not supposed to be magnified." Peter read it and handed it to his sister.  Written in small letters was the word "me."  "You see," continued Dad, "sometimes we tend to magnify me instead of God.  If we do that, we might spend too much time on appearance."
 
"Yeah," broke in Peter with a grin, "we might comb our hair all the time and make everybody late for church."
 
"Or grumble when people don't behave the way we want them to," added Dad.
 
"Yeah."  Bette spoke quickly now.  "We don't have any patience with them like we should have."
 
"On the other hand," said Dad, "when we magnify God instead of me, we try to please Him in our behavior, and we don't point the finger at someone else."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you spend too much time in front of your mirror?  God wants you to look neat, clean, and as attractive as possible, but remember that real beauty is seen in actions more than in appearance.  Behave in such a way that your actions glorify God, not yourself.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Psalm 34:3)
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

[Soldier4Christ]

To Steve, the evening of the winter church retreat was a blur.  He dimly remembered his frantic run for help after he and his brother John ignored the "Danger" signs around the old mine and decided to explore. Steve remembered seeing John drop down inside the enclosure blocking off the mine.  To his horror, John had disappeared with a dreadful, crashing sound.  Steve vaguely recalled the uneasy wait as the men worked to get his brother out, Pastor Jack calling for help on his cell phone, the wait for the rangers to come in the helicopter, and now the wait for his father to return with news from the hospital.  How Steve wished he and John had obeyed the instructions to stay within sight of camp!  How he wished they had paid attention to the "Danger" signs at the mine!
 
When Dad finally returned, Steve was relieved to hear that John would be all right.  He told his father how sorry he was that he had disobeyed.  Dad nodded.  "Okay, Son," he said.  "I trust you've learned a lesson from what happened."
 
John recovered rapidly, and soon he was back home.  It was then that Dad had a serious talk with Steve and John about what had happened. "What did the signs at the mine say?" he asked them.
 
"They said, 'Danger.  Keep out!'" replied Steve.
 
"Exactly," said Dad, "and when you and John didn't obey them, you had to pay the consequences.  When you ignored that warning, you ignored God's warning, too.  His Word also says, 'Danger.  Keep out of sin, or you will have to pay the consequences.'  Not in those words, but one verse says, 'Be sure your sin will find you out.' Your sin of disobedience brought unhappy consequences, didn't it?"
 
"It sure did," agreed John.
 
"When you're faced with temptation, run away from it," advised Dad.  "Ask God to help you."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think you can disobey, cheat, or lie -- just once -- and it won't matter?  Do you think nobody will ever find out?  God already knows, and very often other people find out, too. Sin is dangerous and has serious consequences.  You can't escape forever.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Numbers 32:23)
Be sure your sin will find you out.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mom, my Sunday school teacher says we should read some verses from the Bible every day," said Paula, "but it has a lot of hard words, and some parts aren't very interesting.  It's just too hard to read."
 
"Considering you got an 'A' in reading last semester, I think maybe you're exaggerating," said Mother as they began to set the table for dinner.
 
"Well, couldn't I just read a Bible storybook instead?  It's easier to understand," insisted Paula.  Then she frowned.  "We have something besides white bread, don't we?  I like wheat bread better."
 
"Mother smiled as she got out the wheat bread.  "Remember when you were little and all you would eat was white bread?"
 
Paula nodded.  "Back then I didn't like much," she said.  "I wouldn't even eat ham or steak -- just soft stuff, like bologna."
 
"Right."  Mother grinned.  "I'm glad your tastes have matured. Natural foods like this wheat bread are so much better for you."  A moment later she added, "I think the same principle applies to God's Word, honey.  When you were little, we read the Bible out loud to you and changed all the hard words.  We skipped the doctrinal passages and stuck to stories like David and Goliath, or Daniel in the lion's den."
 
"I know," said Paula.  "I still like those stories."
 
"Well, I'm sure there are still many things about them that you haven't learned yet," said Mother, "but now you're ready for other things, too.  When you read only the 'easy' parts of the Bible, you miss a lot of important truths God has for you.  The stories in your Bible storybook may be easier to 'chew' -- like white bread -- but if that's all you read, you'll miss a lot of the nourishment God has for you in His Word."  She pulled a roast out of the oven.  "We'll be glad to help you understand anything you find too hard," she added, "and don't forget that you have the Holy Spirit to help you, too."



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you complain about hard words or hard ideas in the Bible?  Some of the Bible is not easy to understand, but all of it is important.  Ask God to open your spiritual "eyes" to understand His truths.  Be patient, and you'll develop a "taste" for the challenging parts of God's Word.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (1 Corinthians 2:10)
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Would you like to include a visit to an old battlefield on this trip?" asked Dad after everyone finished lunch.
 
"Yeah!" agreed the twins, Josh and Jonathan.  "Where is it?"  They leaned over Dad's shoulder to see the map better.
 
"Right here."  Dad pointed to a dot on the map.  "And here's where we are now," he said, pointing to another dot.  There was about an inch between the two.
 
Soon they were on their way.  "I hope they have some literature I can take back to my history class," said Jonathan a little later.  "Might help my grade.  Mr. Grant's a hard teacher."
 
"He doesn't believe in giving 'A's,'" added Josh.
 
Jonathan leaned over the front seat.  "He doesn't even believe the Bible.  He says his grandmother did, and that she was already expecting Jesus to come back to earth when she was a little girl.  Now she's dead, and Jesus still hasn't come."
 
Josh pressed his nose against the window.  "Aren't we about there, Dad?" he asked.
 
Dad glanced at the odometer.  "About twenty-five more miles."
 
"Twenty-five miles!" exclaimed Josh.  "It looked like such a little way on the map."
 
Mother smiled.  "The map is drawn to scale," she said.  "One-fourth of an inch represents ten miles.  If we forget that, the distance will seem long to us even though it looks short on the map."
 
Dad nodded.  "Maybe that's Mr. Grant's problem."  The boys looked at Dad curiously.  "The Bible is our map to heaven," explained Dad, "and it tells us Jesus is coming again.  It seems to men that they have been waiting forever for the Lord to return.  Maybe Mr. Grant forgot that on God's scale of time it hasn't been long at all."
 
Jonathan wiggled and turned.  "How close are we to the battlefield now, Dad?" he asked.
 
Dad chuckled as he replied.  "About two miles closer than we were the last time someone asked," he said.



HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you sometimes wonder if the Lord Jesus will ever come?  What sounds like "just a little while" in the Bible may actually be many years, but compared to eternity it is "just a little while."  So don't fret about it; just be ready.  Jesus could come any day.


TODAY'S KEY VERSE: (Matthew 24:42)
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.